I recently inherited O&G Royalty Rights on a complete Texas land section. I am new to this and not sure where to start. The deed with “right of survivorship” reads as follows: “40% of an undivided 1/8th interest in and to all of the oil royalty, gas royalty and royalty in the casing head gas, gasoline, and royalty in other minerals in and under, and that may be produced and mined from the following described lands situated in the County of Midland, Texas”. followed by legal description of the land.
I have done some digging and discovered there are a number of active wells along with an adjoining property that has a number of horizontal wells crossing underneath the property. I have also discovered there has been significant O&G produced and sold by the operators on the leases since drilling and production started in the early 2000’s. I suspect there may be royalties held in suspense (escheat)
the easiest place, but not the only place, is to check the Texas unclaimed property fund. Enter your name, and as many ancestors in the chain of title going back that you can think of.
https://www.claimittexas.gov/
Visit the Midland CAD website and search for the name of the person from whom you inherited to see if they are listed on the tax roll. This can provide you with the producer and well names. You can contact the producer and request the purchaser information so you can provide a copy of your recorded deed and a copy of the death certificate. The purchaser will most likely require you to file an Affidavit of Death in Midland County to affect the ownership change.
If you find nothing in the tax roll, then you can go to the TX RRC for the same information producer and well name information.